DESCRIPTION OF TRAINING PROGRAM: This training program, currently in its 05 Year of funding,in intended to produce more interaction between the modern fields of biostatistics and epidemiology with dentistry. This predoctoral and postdoctoral training program is an interdepartmental and interschool program housed at the University of Washington. The program is designed to take advantage of the existing graduate programs in the Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and the Department of Dental Public Health Sciences in the School of Dentistry. Three types of trainees are proposed, two at the postdoctoral training level and one at the predoctoral training level: 1) postdoctoral trainees who are dentists will pursue PhD degrees in either biostatistics or epidemiology; 2) post-doctoral trainees with PhDs in either biostatistics or epidemiology who will pursue traditional postdoctoral research experiences focused on issues of oral health; and 3) non-dentist predoctoral trainees who will pursue PhD degrees in either biostatistics or epidemiology. The length of training for trainees seeking PhD degrees is anticipated to be 5 years while post-PhD trainees will have a traditional postdoctoral period of approximately 3 years. Implementation of the program will produce a cadre of PhD's in biostatistics and epidemiology who were also trained in dentistry and/or who had significant experience in applications of their field to dentistry. The goal is to produce well trained professionals for high priority areas of dental research.